Louisiana judge to stop jailing defendants over fees

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Louisiana judge to stop jailing defendants over fees

Rebecca Santana, Associated Press

Updated 6:47 pm, Monday, June 27, 2016

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana judge accused by a rights group of running a modern-day debtors prison agreed Monday to temporarily stop jailing defendants for nonpayment of fees and assessing certain costs on defendants, according to a court filing.

The court filing outlines an agreement between Judge Robert Black in Bogalusa and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Last week, the organization filed a lawsuit accusing Black of sending poor defendants to jail when they can't pay fines and fees and charging them a questionable "extension fee" to avoid jail time. It's the latest of a series of legal challenges across the country to a system that opponents say criminalizes being poor.

For the next 75 days, the judge has agreed to stop charging the $50 extension fee the group had objected to as well as some other fees and to stop jailing people who can't pay fines and fees. The 75-day period kicks in after the court accepts the agreement.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Louisiana-judge-to-stop-jailing-defendants-over-8328100.php

[marble falls]

1. Great article, good judge. Lets hope this is the start of a trend. End the use of fines to fund....

local governments, too.